ASTON VILLA should make the most of new boy Mbwana Samatta — for the man dubbed Samuel Eto’o Mk II might not be staying in the Midlands for too long.
Not because he is struggling to settle, nor because he cannot handle the unique demands of the Premier League.
Simply because he is such a talent that, even at the age of 27, football’s genuine big guns will soon be moving heaven and earth to tempt him from Villa Park.
Four games in, and the Tanzanian is already well on the way to becoming a cult figure for Villa fans.
Help his side to the unthinkable today — a Carabao Cup final win over Manchester City at Wembley — and he will be a legend little more than a month after arriving.
While he is something of an unknown to most of English football, one man knows him better than most.
Brazilian coach Marcio Maximo is the man who gave Samatta his international debut as a teenager and never doubted he could eventually cut it right at the very top level.
At the time he was still a young hopeful with his local side African Lyon in Dar es Salaam, and newly-appointed Tanzanian boss Maximo was scouting players.
He said: “They played a side called Young Africans and expected to lose but Mbwana tortured their defence and they drew 2-2.
“He scored both their goals, they couldn’t handle him at all, and I called him into the national team straight away — and now he’s captain.”
Maximo continued: “Sometimes young players struggle with fear at first but Samatta was total opposite. He was a hungry lion.
“He’s a striker but not a target man, whose pace is lethal. In my opinion he’s very similar to the Eto’o who was playing at Barcelona under Pep Guardiola.
“He would use his pace to destroy teams in the space between midfield and defence. Mbwana is a carbon copy of him. The perfect false No9.
“Every move he’s made has been a step up and he’s not finished yet. I have no doubts he will be a massive success in the Premier League but I don’t think he will be at Villa for long.
“I believe he has one even bigger move left — and I am sure he would fit in at Liverpool, Manchester United, City, Real Madrid or Barcelona… he really is THAT good.”
Maximo, 57, is not a man to get carried away too easily, either. As Brazil Under-17 boss he gave Ronaldo his first taste of international football.
He remains close pals with legends like Dunga and Ze Roberto, and also had a brief spell working in Scotland at Livingston.
Now national boss of Guyana, he would love to follow Samatta to England and have a crack at coaching in the Premier League.
He added: “I am very proud to have helped change his life when I was Tanzania coach and I am sure Mbwana knows the impact he has made in his own country by moving to England.
“He’s a hero to so many African players and it is great to have been able to set him on the way.
“It would be great if our paths crossed again because I’d love to work with an English club myself.”
